Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
The tragedy caused us to see afresh the preciousness of
each brother and sister. Dave was ‘with the Lord’, but his
death was an untimely loss. It was a particular grief for his
parents who felt we must be to blame. Local newspapers,
though, reported the coroner’s comment that he could see no
reason to blame the church.
However we sensed the spiritual battle was increasing as
false rumours, accusations and opposition now mounted up.
Some of the stories were silly, ranging from Swiss bank accounts
for Noel to cold showers for erring members! It was
inevitable. Quakers, Methodists, the Salvation Army and the
Pentecostals had all received the same treatment. So had the
early Christians. ‘In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly
life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,’ wrote Paul in 2 Timothy
3:12.
Some Christians, too, thought us arrogant, purposely isolated
in our ‘Zion fortress’ in the Northamptonshire countryside.
‘Bugbrooke think they’re right and everybody else is wrong,’
they said. ‘If you watch telly you’re a spiritual moron. If you
don’t live in community you hate your brothers. If you play
tennis you’re in love with the world. And if you criticise them
you are a tool of the devil! — Just who do they think they
are?’
‘Bugbrooke’ became a worry to the world, an irritation to
the evangelicals and an embarrassment to the Baptist Union.
But we were confident of the leading of God and the radical
message he had given us to proclaim. As Arthur Wallis wrote:
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